DBA to widen investigation

The Design Business Association says it will widen the scope of its investigation into the issue of anti-competitive clauses in client contracts, as it seeks to convince the Office of Fair Trading that there is a serious problem to address. Earlier this year the DBA wrote to a number of consultancies it identified as likely to be affected, all of them working in the fmcg sector (DW 19 January).

The OFT suggests it needs further evidence of affected consultancies working in other sectors if it is to give serious consideration to this problem.

The DBA will continue to work to provide more evidence, says chief executive Ian Rowland Hill.